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- "Going Gradeless" Volume 1
Is it possible for schools to not give grades or a GPA? It absolutely is!
Most of you know by now that I left the traditional world of education behind in 2015 and launched Odyssey Leadership Academy with the intent of telling a better story in education on behalf of students, communities, and the world
I have written quite a bit about that journey in previous posts in this newsletter
But today, I want to help my colleagues who dare to believe it is possible to do something different when it comes to assessments
Specifically, when it comes to going completely “gradeless”
From our inception in 2015, we have never once given a grade to any student on any assignment…ever…for any reason
Literally: NO numbers, NO letters, NO grades, NO GPA…AT ALL!
And still, we have a 100% college acceptance rate with our students receiving significant scholarships to their top schools of choice
And that is without grades (or tests, or quizzes, or worksheets…and the vast majority without ACT or SAT scores as well)!!
So how do we do it?
Well, that is a loaded question that will require a series of newsletters to unpack
First, I will explain why we chose to not give grades (the first newsletter in this series)
Then I will unpack how we do it, and what we use instead (the second newsletter in this series)
And finally, what to think through—the challenges, difficulties, and opportunities—if you really want to take that leap of faith (the third newsletter in this series)
So be sure to subscribe and follow along so you don’t miss out!
Now…let’s dive into why we chose to not give grades at OLA!
Following Our North Star
To understand why we chose from the very beginning to not ever brand a student with a number at OLA, it is important to understand that we are unapologetic in the pursuit of our North Star:
Human Flourishing
We as an organization, a school, and as a learning community walk in the unapologetic, unwavering direction of adolescent flourishing and well-being.
At OLA, are a place where the formation of healthy human beings in their most formative years is top priority.
At OLA, we are convinced that a vision of education rooted in human flourishing begins not with information, but with the in-formation of persons committed to the well-being of themselves and their communities.
At OLA, we cultivate an ecosystem of care wherein each and every student is known, valued, and cherished precisely for the person they are.
What this means to us is that we will not allow, abide, or tolerate ANYTHING that does not promote flourishing in our students or our community.
That is why we are unapologetic about not giving grades at OLA.
As the research on grading shows, striving for numbers and letters creates undue stress and anxiety that leads to depression, angst, and self-harm
As Mary Rose O’Reilley, in her masterpiece The Peaceable Classroom, states
“Grades are not part of the problem… Grades are the problem”
That is why we make a firm commitment that we will never brand any student with a number or letter grade.
At Odyssey, we find when you take grades off the table, you can put back on: wonder, discovery, engagement, purpose, passion, creativity, collaboration, connection, critical thinking…and, most importantly…joy!
But how do you keep students motivated without grades?
Well….if the only reason a student is doing the work is for the grade, the battle is already over
Which is why so many students cheat or do the bare minimum to get the grade they want, and it is why far too many just give up altogether.
In a survey of dropouts across the country, nearly 50 percent said they left school because their classes were boring and not relevant to their lives of career goals
What we find at Odyssey is that, without grades, our students do brilliant, beautiful, meaningful work because they are engaged, bought in, and passionate about the work itself
(Which means you must also give students work that has purpose and meaning beyond a grade, something I address in this previous episode).
Without grades, Odyssey students do serious academic work, create ambitious projects, and find passion in their studies and purpose in their education
Our 6-12th graders do high-level work studying, researching, writing, and teaching on such topics as: a Freudian analysis of the Third Reich, Jungian archetypes in modern advertising, a statistical analysis of debt and divorce, an Aristotelian study of botany, Euclidean geometry in The Elements, prostate cancer research, the connection between food deserts and economics, thermodynamics and gas consumption, the impact of the K-Pg event and the rise of the Age of Mammals, the Eastern influence on shame and moral development, how cities should shape happiness…and much more!
At OLA, our students:
investigate the idea of dark matter and the physics of quantum mechanics in Math: Quest for Wonder
present on the work UNICEF is doing around the world to defend and empower children in Peacebuilding and Holistic Communities
study criminology and the impact of social conditions on crime in Forensic Science
examine the link between modern birds and velociraptors as theropod cousins in Paleontology
create their own original graphic novels in Visual Storytelling
teach out on Carol Dweck's concept of growth mindset in Neuroscience and the Mind
use their geometry skills to help build a tiny house from the trailer up in Architectural Engineering and Design
give a speech as Malcolm X while studying his response to the Jim Crow South in Leaders of the Past and Present
research thermodynamics and ecosystem population density in Nature's Folklore
investigate the impact fatherlessness plays in incarceration in Justice by Mathematics
recreate an original model of a Tesla coil designed to power an electric light bulb for a class project in Navigating Mathematics
read and study Crime and Punishment in its original Russian
And they do all of that (and much more) without the carrot and stick of grades!
We find that there really is no way to convert this amount of original scholarly work and active engagement into a grade point average, and, quite frankly, we do not even try because we do not see our students in any way as average!
We see students as individuals with in-depth life stories and passions, who learn in unique ways different from one another.
We don’t label them with numbers or letters because these are too small and narrow to properly show the whole of a person and their academic and communal growth over time.
But what about college?
At Odyssey, without grades or GPA, our graduates are being accepted into their top schools of choice, most with significant scholarship offers
To date, our graduates have received offers of admissions to:
UC Santa Cruz, Penn State, George Washington, Colorado School of Mines, Wheaton, UC San Diego, Lewis and Clark College, Hendrix College, Regis, Fisk, Allegheny College, Michigan State University, Stetson, Eckerd, Brigham Young University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, St John’s, College of Charleston, University of Colorado at Boulder, Westminster College, DePaul, Colorado College, Savanah College of Art and Design, Kansas City Art Institute, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, University of Arkansas, Academy of Contemporary Music, University of Central Oklahoma, University of Utah…and many, many more!
Our grads have received Presidents, Deans, Regents, Trustees, Chancellors, Academic Excellence, Leadership scholarships, including many full rides—averaging $65,000 in scholarships per college bound graduate!
They go on from OLA to study mechanical engineering, psychiatry, cognitive science, business, marketing, architectural engineering, criminal justice, history, creative writing, videography, graphic design, marine biology, medicine, philosophy and more!
And here is what colleges say about our students
“I would take Odyssey students every year! They are the most prepared for university level work of any school I visit.”
"This school has a feel of college level thinking and course work. They know how to research very well, they know how to write papers, they know how to cross over different subjects to discover real life solutions to real life problems. Their hard work and skills developed in high school will pay off immensely at the college level. Odyssey students would fit well in our honors college because we are after more meaningful work and that is what I see the students of OLA are getting to experience."
"An authentic passion for learning and strong communication skills are the two elements I most actively look for in prospective students, and I found those in abundance at OLA. It was clear to me that academic exploration is something students engage with actively at OLA, and that students are empowered to take on paths that excite them. Students like this, who can engage passionately with learning, instead of seeing it merely as a means to an end, are the kind of students that thrive at Hendrix."
"Odyssey nurtures creativity. Students are encouraged to be open-minded, yet intellectually humble. They are encouraged to be rigorous and to persevere in learning, yet to love learning and to be creative in the course of pursuing their dreams."
The faculty of Odyssey create and sustain a supportive educational environment, which gives students the confidence to explore, dream, and develop their own ideas.
As you can see, colleges love the Odyssey model precisely because it gives them a much fuller picture of the human being they are accepting…far more than a mere number or letter can
You can learn more and see for yourself the incredible work our students do day in and day out over their academic career at Odyssey Leadership Academy by visiting our WEBSITE
Is it possible to educate students without grades or a GPA?
It sure is!!!!!!
Now that you know it can be done, and why it should be done, I will unpack how we do it in the second episode of this series
Want direct, one-on-one help on how to go gradeless?
→Check out my website: From one-on-one dream sessions, to consulting with your team, to sharing at your site, I am passionate about helping you reimagine learning in your educational community.
Want a tangible resource for doing something bold and imaginative in education?
→ Grab a copy of The Edupreneur’s Field Guide. In this book, I bring to you all the wisdom, struggle, insight, hardships, challenges, obstacles, and opportunities I have learned from starting Odyssey Leadership Academy to help you tell a better story in education!
